Influence of polymer types on the performance of piezoelectric ceramic/ polymer composite arrays based on 1-3 type structure

Piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composite array elements based on a 1-3 structure are widely used in high- frequency transducers. This study selected three commonly used polymers (epoxy resin, silicone rubber, and polyurethane) to prepare three types of piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composite array elements. These elements were tested using a concentric ring sampling scheme from the inside to the outside and analyzed through finite element simulation to explain the performance differences in piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composite arrays. The test results demonstrate that compared to composite arrays made with piezoelectric ceramic and epoxy resin or polyurethane, piezoelectric ceramic/silicone rubber composite arrays exhibit superior resonance characteristics and consistency. The resonance frequency fluctuation is within 6 kHz, with a maximum deviation factor of 1.22 %, and an average effective electromechanical coupling factor of up to 0.69. The experimental results also show significant performance differences between edge and non-edge elements, suggesting that in practical applications, edge elements of the array can be set as dummy elements to ensure array consistency.